Thread: Greetings and help request please !!!

Hey guys and gals my name is Andy and I live in Adelaide australia, Im a stay at home dad looking after my 6 month old baby girl witch is the best job ever, however I'm interested in changing my Job to a tig welder and not to sure how to go about getting qualified I'm currently doing a tafe basics class but I am able to practice more at home and was trying to accelerate the process ? Any tips ?

I have just retired from a 13 year carrier as a arborist and not going back to it

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Have a great day. Andy

Is there a reason why you want to TIG weld for a living? Keep going to tafe if you can and hassle your teacher every spare second they have for advice or pointers. Practice Practice Practice.

Thanks for looking mate yeah I want to work on aluminum so I've been told tig is the best and I want to start a little business in my shed but before all that want to make my daughter a alloy beach buggy so it's not so hard to walk down the beach with her

Thanks again will start my harassment of the tafe teacher

As a weld/fab tradie and ex TAFE teacher it usually goes like this:

Welding and thermal cutting. Everyone does this course first. It's even included in non welding metal trades eg fitting, mechanics, electrical as an introduction.

After completing this you can then branch out into the welding sub categories of your choice . Manual Metal Arc Welding (stick/ MMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding(GMAW/Mig) and Gas Tungsten Arc welding(GTAW/TIG).

Each one consist of 3 modules that you then complete in order. There may be extra modules that are specific to a metal being welded ie stainless/aluminum if you wish to specialize.

There is then also the pressure welding certificates above these that may be required depending on the application of the piece your working with or if you wish to have this specialization.

So the courses are there, the problem is keeping an eye out for start dates and putting your name down on course start lists.

Don't harrass a tafe teacher! People come bounding in all the time wanting this and that. You have done the right thing by seeking advice first.

My advice

Quickest option to get to welding ally with TIG.

Welding and thermal cutting

GTAW 1, 2 ,3 (You may not have to do all of them before progressing to the GTAW aluminium specific module) ask? I would advise doing them though. If you are going to invest in GTAW equipment, learn how to do other metals to broaden your work base. Make the equipment pay for itself.

Then GTAW Aluminium

Try to get some part time in the industry. Tafe is one thing, street smarts is where it's at.

You may want to investigate doing some GMAW and Aluminum GMAW along the way.

I must say you've got a set, cause you have chosen to start with one of the most difficult metals to weld and a process that requires great dexterity and prep. Be patient and persistent.

Good luck with you endeavors.

Hope this helps.

Bob

Originally Posted by bobbavet

Don't harrass a tafe teacher! People come bounding in all the time wanting this and that.

I'm pretty sure its a teachers job to teach, especially if the student is willing to learn. They pay money to go to TAFE to learn skills.
If you don't like having students asking questions all the time, why be a teacher?
When l say "hassle" l mean don't be afraid to ask for help, but do try to nut things out for yourself, you wont have a teacher holding your hand every other time.

Thanks for your advise guys much appreciated Guess it's just down to practice tafe is helping loads now just need to magic up a grand or so to buy a machine

Thanks again Andy

I have to side with bobbavet on this one .
People need to realise TAFE has changed a lot and instructors do not have a lot of time to one on one with students,due to commitments imposed upon them by the system.Usually this translates to teachers having to have them drum up better paying courses in industry.These are what the TAFES are chasing now just to stay viable as the funding through governments is not once what it was.

If you are going to get a in course it will need to be filled completely and expect to pay between $30 -$40 dollars per night x 12 weeks =Nearly $500.

Of all the welding processes I would say TIG is the the most difficult to learn. when I taught them In Queensland they were about pipework because that's what industry wanted.
If you can get get 14 people that wanted an TIG aluminum course, the stumbling block would be.

Oxy welding is the nearest / best welding process to train a potential TIG welder operator in the beginner stage as its so close in manipulation to to TIG.

If you wish to TIG an AC /DC unit is the go.If your are short on dollars perhaps consider a single phase CIG Cigweld Transtig welder. You might pick one up on Ebay or Gumtree.

If you do decide to go the second hand route you will get good support from the mob here.If you have a digital camera even better as lots of weld practice diagnostics can be acheived in this forum.
Best of luck
Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

I have to side with bobbavet on this one .
People need to realise TAFE has changed a lot and instructors do not have a lot of time to one on one with students,due to commitments imposed upon them by the system.

Can see that. The caliber of young tradesmen these days. Riding off everyone else's back. I'm struggling to see the point of putting out quality work when they strut around be-friending supervisors and getting away with rubbish.

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

If you are going to get a in course it will need to be filled completely and expect to pay between $30 -$40 dollars per night x 12 weeks =Nearly $500.

I'm not sure about SA or Qld, but in NSW there's a strong indication that course fees are going up dramatically - like 5x !
At 500 bucks for 12 weeks a tafe course is a bargain.